It’s not a great time to be a Celtic fan. Unless you enjoy watching games with three layers of protection: behind the sofa, through your fingers, preferably in a box of some kind..
When the Scottish Premiership started back in August, there was plenty of optimism about Celtic winning a 14th Scottish Premiership title in 15 seasons.. According to most bookmakers, Celtic had good odds of winning their first few games, and perhaps even remaining as title front-runners leading into the tail-end of the tournament. That after all is what usually happens in Scottish football where Celtic have become the 21s century power-house.
But now here we are with seven games to go, and Martin O’Neill’s side has slipped five points adrift of leaders Heart of Midlothian, having recently suffered an eighth league defeat away to Dundee United just before the international break.
But is it really all doom and gloom for the men in those famous green and, white hoops and have those odds on being title contenders really slipped into nothingness?
Do Celtic Need To Win All Their Remaining Games?
Let’s look at this practically: Celtic don’t need to win all their remaining matches to lift the trophy. At least, not from a mathematical point of view (more on that later).
What they need to do, practically, is win at least five or six games – and there will need to be some upsets for the top teams along the way.
What Happens If They Don’t Win Every Game?
We said that they don’t need to win all their remaining games from a mathematical point of view, but let’s now look at this from a psychological point of view.
Realistically, if Celtic are going to lift the trophy, they need to go on a run. That is to say, they need to find the inner belief to build momentum and live up to their potential, and the only way they will do that is by winning consistently.
Let’s say for instance, they lose their next match against Dundee. Do we really see them going on to win six in a row? It’s unlikely because suddenly the roadmap changes and the pressure triples. If they’re going to have any chance of winning the league, they need to start competing now – and, if they do compete now, it’s more than likely that they’ll keep on going until the tournament culminates in May.
Will It Really Happen?
That’s the dream for Celtic supporters, anyway. If it’s really going to happen, we’re going to need to see drastic change on the field. The biggest problem for Celtic right now isn’t the results, of course, it’s consistency and control of games with a real problem in the lack of goalscoring centre-forwards, something Celtic is traditionally famous for.
In many ways, we can put this down to the Celtic board failing to manage the club effectively, but in several matches this season, Celtic have dominated possession but failed to control games when it mattered. They’ve conceded goals at bad times, dropped points from winning positions, and struggled away from home. If they’re going to turn things around, then, they need to tighten defensively and stop conceding first.
They’ll also need midfielders to better control tempo instead of rushing forward – something that has been a problem since emotions seem to constantly get the better of them.
Most of all, they’ll need their top players to step up, and that starts with captain Callum McGregor. Make no mistake, McGregor is a great player, but recently, it seems like the responsibility of carrying the team has been weighing heavily on his shoulders.
He needs to shrug off some of that weight and lead by example, demanding more from the players around him simply by being the best midfielder he can be.
There is still hope, but there’s no doubt that the next few weeks aren’t going to be an easy ride – for players and supporters alike.
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The equation remains very simple still.
Put a run of 9 victories together, and another double should be achieved.
Downside, is we haven’t looked anywhere near a team, capable of producing such a run together, this season to date.
That doesn’t mean that it isn’t possible either?
The big advantage we do still hold, is that every game for the title contenders, hold way more pressure involved within them.
In that regards, we still hold the most players available, in dealing with such circumstances.
The downside, is we also have the most players available, who might have an eye upon a world cup squad place, moreso than the demands and intentions of our own club?
No double will be achieved, by half hearted players involved imo?
Already expecting our first fixture, after the split, to be the minis at home imo?
Of course that will be designed to assist there bigger hun brothers.
We already know that we are also going to have to play the cheating officials also. Nothing new for ourselves, despite it possibly on a bigger scale than usual at present imo?
So our own mindset, with finding that extra quality, that’s been badly lacking in potentially our biggest aim at this point.
Get them improved and hopefully the consistency in our performance levels follow suit.
Even that might not be enough, if we continue to give away cheap goals, and our conversation rate of changes created isn’t the best either, throughout this season to date?
All the while this season still remains within our own hands, then the focus has to remain upon ourselves only imo